CHRISTIAN UNION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 275, 13 August 1908, Page 4

CHRISTIAN UNION.

Sir,—One does not wish- to throw cold water upon tho dosiro for greater unity amongst Christians'.- Tho hope has arjscn again that the English Church will accept a Prcsbyteriau Ministry without Episcopal ordination._ But the ground of the hope is a misconception. Such a thing can never bo. The Rev. J. K. Elliott says "spme of tho greatest lights of tho Ohurcil pf England had boon Presbyterians, w|io had )]ot tp undergo a socond ordination." Nq instances are given, and l should be glad tp lef>ru Tvhat'iri--stances it is thought possible to give. Presbyterian qrdinatjon has never been accepted .by -the Church of England as sufficient, aud I, for one, as a layman,' would reject any eiFort to supply us with uon-Epiecopally qi> dained ministers. Rather than accept it.. I would go to Rome ant] attend such services as a non-Roman might ha allowed to attend. I have before me a pamphlet by tho Rev. Mr. Gillies contending for the fiction that "From tho Rofprination down to the passing of tho Act of Uniformity in, 1662 in practice she (tho Church of England) admittod to the ministry'men ..who we're non;Episcppally prdajned." Bishop. refers to those snpppsec] cases .''expeptipnal,"—that ja,' as cases not! to ;be fpllpwed. But; will anyone hp gopd onough'to .speejfy the fancied casos? In the attempt.'!rfeel-convinced the'fiction will melt away, Certainly tho task will be found vpstly more 'difficult, than .to make tho general statement. .Wo nius't hold to the historic iflinistry, and there is no contiimanco by ordination,in Pjrpsbyterianism of any portion of that ministry, Even if Presbyters had tho pp\ver of prdaining apart from the Bishops, '\yp may ask does the Presbyterian body of Christiajis trace its ministry in dirpct linos to Presbytqrs who havo received Episcopal ordiuation ?' I do not think Ti'esbytprians arc at all unxioua on this .point, and if so what becomes of tho Presbyterian theory? Bnt. my present purpose is to ejii plodp tho idea that the English Church,is at pill likely tp waivo tho necessity of Episcopal prdination even in tlio caso of moderators,, a|id that sho lias done so in tI)D past, A noi> Episcopal ordination we regard CS a cpiitrnt diotion' in terms—l am, etc,, i ' PHYLAX. August 13.